Apparatus for manufacturing segments of turbine-blades.



1,171 447. Patented Jl dig, 1916, v

,1. W. MOBREf APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SEGMENTS 0F TURBINE BLADES.APPLICATION FILED AUG-H, 191 3. RENEWED NOV. 6. 1915.

i 1,1.87A4l7.

JOSEPH W. MOORE, OF MILWAUKEE, WIS

DELAWARE.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING Application filed August 11, 1913, SerialNo. 784,633

To all whom it may concern:

lle it known that 1:, Josnrn XV. Moons, a eitizen of the United States,residing at \Vest Allis, )libvaukec, in the county of Milwaukee andb'tate of \Visconsin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvementin .pparatus for Manufacturing Segments ol 'lurbine-l'ilades, of whichthe following is a specification. I

This invention relates to apparatus for manul'imturing segments ofturbine blades. This invention primarily concerns segments of turbineblades in which a base is cast around the ends of the blades. Heretoforeit. has been dillicult to satisfactorily cast said base with the bladesin correct position.

Moreover it has been diliicult to secure a perfect surface of the castmetal between the blades, as this surface is unmachinable because ofinaccessibility after casting.

The object of this invention is to provide apparatus which will insureaccuracy of spacing and angling of the blades as well as correct radialposition, and accuracy of the unmaehinable wall of the space betweenblades and generally facility of production of correct segments.

The process, .in'the carrying out of which the present apparatus may beutilized, is claimed broadly in a divisional application Serial Xo.621,310, filed Feb. 21, 1911.

Referring to the drawing,-l igure 1 shows a plan view of a frame havingclamped thereto a plurality of blades having a shroud strip connectedthereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the showing in Fig. 1 on the line1'l-11 thereof. Fig. 3 is a developed end view of the same. Fig. 4 is aside view of the same showing in addition strips temporaril y clamped onopposite sides of the plurality of blades. Fig. 5 is a plan view of theshowing of Fig. at, additionally showing a tamping tool in operativerelation. Fig. (i is an end view of the tamping tool. Fig. 7 is atransverse sectional detail view of the segment with the blades lying inposition within the mold shown in section. Fig. 8 is a transversesectional detail view of the segment with the blades calked intoposition in the turbine spindle or casing.

Referring to the drawings, a segment shaped frame 1 having an arc-shapedstop portion 2 at one end, has connected thereto permanently orotherwise, a notched strip 3,

Specification of Letters Patent.

of blades thus temporarily assembled is skewing the entire segment intocorrect posifsegmentof blades and clamped to CONSIN, ASSIGNOR TOALLIS-CHALMERS SEGMENTS OF TURBINE-BLAIDES.

Patented June 13, 1916. Renewed November 6, 1915. Serial No. 60,415.

also arc-shaped and in parallel relation with the stop portion 2. Sideblocks 1, are positioned at the respective sides of the frame 1 and withreference to the notches of strip 3, see Fig. 8, so as to insure correctangling and radial positioning of the blades 15, and are of thicknesssubstinitially-equal to the width of the segment of blades. A11arc-shaped clamping strip 6 extends from block 1 to block 5 across thesegment of blades, and lies parallel to the stop portion 2. Stud bolts7, 7, extend through the clamping strip 6 and side blocks 1, 5, into theframe 1 and serve to hold the segment of blades in place on the frame.Other stud bolts 8, 8, pass through blocks 1, 5, and into frame 1,serving to additionally secure these blocks in place. A strip ofasbestos paper 9 may extend underneath clamping strip 6 and between itand the blocks 1, 5, and segment of blades, see Figs. 2, 3 and -1.

Strips 11, 12, may be temporarily clamped at opposite sides of thesegment of blades'by means of clamps 13, 1d. I

In using the apparatus of this invention a plurality of blades 15 areconnected to a shroud strip 10 by forming integral tenons of irregularsection at the ends of the blades and passing same into correspondinglyshaped holes punched into the shroud strip. This will insure properangle of blades in the strip. A temporary fastening connection of anykind may be used. The segment placed in position on the frame 1 with theshroud strip against the stop portion 2 and the blades in theirrespective notches of strip The end blade is brought into correctangular and radial position with its concave working face in coactionwith the adjacent surface of the block 5 by simultaneously swinging, ifnecessary, the blades in their retaining notches as centers, thus,

tion. After being sure that the shroud strip 10 is against the stopportion 2 att' ill points and the end blade against side block 5, theclamping strip 6 with its underlying asbestos paper 9 is brought downupon the the frame the side blocks at, 5. I A prevents injury-to theblade edges. ll itli" the blades 15 thus clamped, the end blade 15adjacent the block 5 has its concave wor and against The papers ing facein contact with the adjacent convex surface of the block 5, and the endof the blade adjacent the block 4: has its convex woi'king face incontact with the adjacent =concaversurface of the block 4, see Figs.

,"l'and 3.

, cored space 18, see Fig. 7. The mold after After ramming sand betweenthe blades, stripsll,12,'are temporarily clamped on opposite sidesrespectively of the segment of blades: with their edges adjacent theends of the blades in line and in a position a short distance nearer theadjacent ends of the bladesthan would correspond to the limit of entryof cast metal betwee'nthe'blades, see Fig. A, and the sand is thenbrushed out or otherwise-removed from between the ends of the blades upto the edges of th'eg'stri ps 11,112. These strips 11, 12, are thenmoved away, from the ends of the blades the same short distance referredto, see Fig. 5, and a tamping tool 16, having a cross sectionsubstantially equal to the cross section of the space between twoblades, is rammed be- 5' tween each two of the blades until a shoulder17 formedth'ereonis brought into contact with the ends of 'theblades.This will gage and positively determine the limit of entry of'tlie castmetal between the blades during the casting operation. The strips 11,12, are now removed. V

A mold of sand having previously been prepared by embedding a patterntherein of =,the proper shape to accommodate the sub- :{stitutio'n ofthe frame as prepared with its segment of blades and also toadditionally form a cored space 18 in the mold adapted to reefeive thecast metal about the ends of the blades of the segment, the frame Withthe segmentj'of blades is placed therein with the free; ends of theblades projecting intd -the insertion; of the frame and blade segment,is

= then properly closed'by the cope,proper and necessary 'sprue and risenopenings having been formed leading to and from the cored 'spa ce 18 forthe cast metal. The ends of the blades, it should be stated, may benotched or roughened or formed inany way to make argpositive lock withthe cast metal, see Figs. 2,14, 7 and 8. The metal is then cast aboutthe ends ofthe blade and as soon as the metal has set the'frame isremoved from the mold andth'e clamping strip 6'is loosened from i'the:frame orlentire'ly removed, topermit of "the shrinkage which takes placeduring cooling. The segment is then machined by turning down the castmetal to proper shape for calking, in the spindle or cylinder of theturbine. The, fast'e'ning to the spindle is preferably made-Qbyundercutting the parts rather than by dovetailing', as this affords apositive locking of the parts, I

Itshou'ld be. understood that it is not de- ;g -'sired to be limited tothe exactdet ail of construction of apparatus shown and described ordetails of process, disclosed, for obvious modifications will occur to aperson skilled in the art.

, It is claimed and desired to secure by Let- :ters Patent,

1. A frame having an arc-shaped stop portion, a notched strip extendingacross said frame, a stopblock at one side of said frame, located withreference to the first notch of the notched stripso as to determine thecorrect radial position of the adjacent blade of a segment of turbineblades having a spacing and angle determining means connected therewith,and means for clamping said segment against said arc-shaped portion ofsaid frame with said blades lying in the notches of said strip and withsaid block in contact with said adjacent blade.

' 2. A frame for" clamping-thereto a segment-of turbine blades, stripsclamped on opposite sides of said segment, and a gaged tamping tool forramming back molding sand between blades a definite distance from theend thereof.

3. A frame having an arc-shaped stop portion, a notched strip extendingacross said frame, a stop block at one side of said frame, located withreference to the first notch of the notched strip soas to determine thecorrect radial position of the adjacent blade of a segment of turbineblades having a spacing means connected therewith, and means forclamping said segment'against said blades lying in the notches of saidstrip and with said blockin contactwith' said adjacent blade.

. said ar'c shaped portion of said frame with 4:. A frame having anarc-shaped stop portion, a notched strip extending across said frame, astop block at one side of said frame, located with reference to thefirst notch of the notched strip so as to determine the correct radialposition of the adjacent blade of a segment of turbine blades having anangle-determining means connected therewith, and means for clamping thesegments against said arc-shaped portion .of said frame with said bladeslying in the notches of said strip and with said lock in contact withthe adjacent blade.

' 5. A frame having an (arc-shaped stop portion, means for clampingsegments of turbine blades against said frame with the correspondingendsof the blades abutting said arc-shaped ortion, and means for ram mingback molding sandbetween the opposite ends of the blades a definitedistance from said ends.

6. In an apparatus for clamping segments of turbine blades havingspacing and angledetermining means connected therewith, a frame having astop portion, a blade spacing strip extendingacross said frame, a stopblock located with reference to said bladespacing means so as todetermine the correct radial position of one of the blades of a segment.said strip (reacting with the remaininn blades of the segment so as todetermine the correet radial positions thereof, and means for clampingsaid blades against said frame.

7. In an apparatus for manufacturing segments of turbine blades, meansfor spacing and for determining the. angles of a plurality of bladesforming a segment. a .t'rame having an ar *-shaped stop portion foralining adjacent ends oi the blades, means on said frame. coat-ting"with said spacing means and with said stop portion for determining theeorreet radial positions of the blades. and means for clamping theblades against said frame.

S. In an apparatus for manufacturing seg- I and for determining theangles of a plurality of blades ferming a segment, a frame, means forclamping" said blades to said frame, means for permitting filling of thespaces between the free ends of the blades with molding sand, and meansfor ramming back molding sand from between said free ends a definitedistance.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature hereto in the presence of twowitnesses.

, JOSEPH NV. MOORE.

i tnesses G. R. Dr: \VuIN, V. ll. lmcnnn.

